So I dug a little deeper into the requirements for the college my son would like to go to. Turns out you can apply with a homeschooling portfolio, but to attend he needs to have either an equivalency test from the State Board or a diploma from an umbrella school...

I am so confused! I'm not sure which way I need to go now for his studies this year?

dbmamaz

03-26-2012, 08:49 PM

are you serious? thats very unusual. I mean, unless umbrella schools is the standard way to homeschool in your state or something? I've never heard of that. but a GED is not that big a deal, is it?

kailuamom67

03-26-2012, 09:25 PM

In California an equivelency is not the same as a GED. You can take it at a younger age AND IMO it's much easier.

It's how I got out of high school at 15 1/2.

Depending on your state, it may be different, but I expect that the test is probably not a big deal. I would probably be more concerned with, what did the kids that got accepted take?

Pefa

03-27-2012, 08:16 AM

And while some schools will accept a GED, it's not really considered the equivalent of a hs diploma anymore. According to FD's GED adviser all it signifies is that the recipient can read and do math on about a 6th grade level.

Kailua makes the best point: what did the accepted kids do?

gidamom

03-27-2012, 11:28 AM

Well, keep in mind that the college he wants to go to is Berklee College of Music, in Boton,so not in my state at all. In fact, he probably will NOT go to college here. Massachussets, New York or California probably...

Here in PR there are no regulations or rules regarding homeschooling, so basically I'm free to do what I want to do. However, because he definitely wants to go to college, I am looking at their requirements to make sure I meet those.

When looking at the requirements here in PR for taking the GED ( which I would not want him to have to take anyway) but just as a precaution, one of the requirements is to be 18, which he will NOT be when he finishes high school. So seems like that option is not a good one because he would have to wait a full year before being able to enter univeristy?!?! NO!

So I'm left with the umbrella schools...should we just do that? Do they suck? What do I do?? I'm totally freaking out

Pefa

03-27-2012, 11:44 AM

You send an email to the admissions counselors at the schools he's interested in. He isn't the first one to come from a non-traditional educational background (particularly at Berklee) so asking them for advice just makes sense.

gidamom

03-27-2012, 12:29 PM

I did speak to them. That's where I got this info :(

kailuamom67

03-27-2012, 01:56 PM

So, as I said, I don't think that Berklee would be using the word equivelency if they meant GED. In most states there is an equivelency test that is different from the GED and called an equiveklency test. Howeever, after a little googling, I don't see that in PR, so you could face a challenge there. Our good friend's daughter is currently at Berkelee and graduated HS doing independent study, so still through a high school.

laq997

03-30-2012, 04:46 PM

we are in NJ so we have no requirements either and my daughter is a Jr and has a ton of Sr friends- NONE did anything but transcript/SAT/interview/AP
colleges they got into
U of Penn cognitive/artificial intelligence program
Carnige Mellon
Princeton
Dartmouth
Cornell
Northwestern
U of GA
NYU

ONE did Community college classes rest did PA homeschoolers AP classes.

my daughter is looking at swathmore and they are VERY open to homeschooling... and just my transcript/tests/interview (optional but recommended) is all they require and she is YOUNG.

i would not insult her by asking her to take a GED after all the work she did, she DID finish HS just at home (well WILL finish next year/you know what i mean)

gidamom

03-31-2012, 10:28 AM

That's my point as well laq...I agree with you completely. Whatever we end up doing, I do not want him to take the GED. In fact, he would not even be eligible to take it when he finishes high school because of age.

What would all of you do? How do you decide?!? I want him to get into WHICHEVER college or university he decides, and homeschooling should not be an obstacle! right? But I want to make sure whatever we decide enables him to do so.

So I am torn and confused...Do I find an umbrella school to make things easier and get a diploma in the end, or do we just wing it and piece something together (which I'm having TONS of trouble doing)?!?!

dbmamaz

03-31-2012, 11:36 AM

If he's sure this is the school for him, i would double check w admissions, try to go further up the chain to see if there are any other options, and then consider enrolling him in a virtual school. I mean, the point of education should be to get them where they want to go, right? if he has a good chance of getting in and its important, i'd do whats necessary.

kailuamom67

03-31-2012, 12:47 PM

I would not just wing it. I try to find out what successful candidates at Berkelee have. I'm guessing that an umbrella school diploma and a really great performance portfolio would be helpful. I know my friends daughter (who is there now) had a comprehensive portfolio, and is a really talented performer. I know the reason she stopped going to a B&M school, was to devote more time to her music studies, which consisted of daily lessons and hours of practice.

gidamom

03-31-2012, 05:10 PM

kailua that's the exact same reason why my son started homeschooling!:D Thankfully, DS has an amazing performance portflio. We just need to make sure we iron out the academic school part properly.

I am inclined to think the same way you and Cara are suggesting. Thanks to all of you!